Full text of Patriarch Bartholomew’s letter to primates on distributing Holy Communion now available in English

Istanbul, June 3, 2020

Photo: oc-media.org Photo: oc-media.org     

In an effort to coordinate and foster uniformity among the Local Orthodox Churches on the issue of how to serve Holy Communion to the faithful against the background of the coronavirus pandemic and media attacks against the Church, on May 17, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople sent letters to all Orthodox primates throughout the world, as OrthoChristian reported yesterday.

“Certain unseemly points of view have been heard on how to approach the immaculate Mysteries,” the Patriarch writes, and thus, “it is impossible for us to remain silent and foreign to such an ambiguous situation.”

He thus asks his brother primates to share their views on how to distribute Holy Communion, so the Church can move forward in unison.

The full text of the Patriarch’s letter is now available in English, as published by Orthodoxia.info:

Your Beatitude, Christ is risen!

We have painfully experienced the circumstances that have arisen in the life of the Church due to the serious pandemic of the new coronavirus, and from everywhere we have received new local data and various developments, in letters or in the form of questions and concerns. We, animated by a spirit of solidarity and cooperation, in order to protect the health of the faithful and the common good, have accepted the celebration of the liturgical services for a certain time without the presence of the faithful in the churches, but with the primary concern, however, of preserving the faith of our Fathers, which always illuminates the universe.

Since, nevertheless, after the praiseworthy interest of the authorities and the priceless prevention of the leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic, certain unseemly points of view have been heard on how to approach the immaculate Mysteries, it is impossible for us to remain silent and foreign to such an ambiguous situation, and inactive in the face of development and related government regulations and prohibitions.

We have obeyed the exhortations of the health and political authorities, and as is natural, we obey, to the point, however, where the essence and the center of our faith is not touched. The condescension of the Church goes to the cross, but nevertheless it refuses to descend from it by obeying the magistrates and authorities of this world when the mystery of the mysteries of her life, the Divine Eucharist, is being questioned.

In the life of the Church, it is known to all that the interpreter of the evangelical and apostolic exhortations and concepts, but nevertheless also of the spirit and the letter of the Divine and holy canons, is the holy Tradition, woven indissolubly with daily ecclesial practice and kenotic experience. Using this consecrated practice of the Church, we see and we discern in truth that it lives in the world by Divine Eucharist and in Divine Eucharist, or, in another way, that Divine Eucharist is the revelation and the experience of the Divine-human mystery of the Church. The Lord himself, who “dwells invisibly with us”, who “offers, is offered and is distributed”, gives us in the Eucharist His immaculate body and His precious blood, making us the “fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven”.

In this spirit and in this feeling, we communicate with Your Beatitude, much loved by us, declaring in all conscience that we have no intention of renouncing what was bequeathed to all of us by our blessed Fathers. In the light of the circumstances that have arisen, we wish to listen to Your fraternal opinion and Your thoughts so that we may commonly walk in the pastoral approach to controversies over the established mode of the distribution of Divine Communion. That have been said, we embrace with love in Christ and with a holy kiss Your beloved Beatitude, remaining his dear brother, his concelebrant and partaking in the one and common chalice, to which, by drinking it, we will never thirst in the ages. Amen.

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6/3/2020

See also
Patriarch Bartholomew contacting Orthodox primates to coordinate on how to serve Holy Communion Patriarch Bartholomew contacting Orthodox primates to coordinate on how to serve Holy Communion Patriarch Bartholomew contacting Orthodox primates to coordinate on how to serve Holy Communion Patriarch Bartholomew contacting Orthodox primates to coordinate on how to serve Holy Communion
In an effort to coordinate and foster uniformity among the Local Orthodox Churches on the issue of how to serve Holy Communion to the faithful against the background of the coronavirus pandemic and media attacks against the Church, on May 17, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople sent letters to all Orthodox primates throughout the world, the text of which has been published on Romfea.
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Comments
A Greek of Constantinople.6/6/2020 8:51 am
If people can protest, riot and loot in the streets without face masks to protest for the death of some stranger, ignoring the lock down, ignoring social distancing, we need not be concerned about how to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. It would be hypocritical for our critics to condemn us, while all of a sudden protection and precaution has been totally abolished, free travel has resumed, and people are ordered back to work. Besides. If you believe that you can catch COVID-19 from communion, then you do not deserve communion.. You're not a Christian, not just any Christian, but an Orthodox. ORTHODOX. I said it before and I will say it again. This belief is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. No one, ever, has caught any disease from communion and we have countless of examples to show. Because the body and blood of Christ is the source of life. The body and blood of Christ has no blemishes or disease. This is not some wine mixed with hot water and bread or some mystical thing that is symbolic. This is the body and blood of Christ. It is his blood and his flesh, as many Saints have seen and testified about the Holy Communion. John 6:53-57 "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever."
Fei Yu(Mainland China)6/5/2020 6:40 pm
I have already translated this English text into Chinese, and will be circulating amongst my Chinese Christian friends. Thank you for providing us with this information. Unfortunately, the Orthodox church in Harbin and Shanghai still remain closed, predictably, we will experience the same situation on distributing Holy Communion as foreign churches after a few months, if the church can reopen again. and we will find a way to solve it.The Lord dwells invisibly with us ,Amen
Antiochene Son6/5/2020 6:12 am
If we should not fear contamination, the priest should not drop the gifts into the mouth, but serve it so it is consumed as any other food from a spoon.
Rashid Sweis 6/3/2020 2:52 pm
The priest should drop the communion into the mouth of the faithful The shouldn't being seen by the perishnors while themselves receiving the communion from the chalice We must work hard in a continuous that if any come forward to receive communion in faith should never worry about getting contaminated The body and the blood of jesus gives life and purify
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